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Three years ago, Olli Maatta needed a month or so to get used to playing North American junior hockey. But the Finn was working the same blue-line as NHL first-rounders Jarred Tinordi and Scott Harrington and had Canadian Hockey League goalie of the year Michael Houser watching his back.

Julius Bergman won’t have similar luxuries.

This fall, the Knights will need the impressive Swedish defenceman to learn on the fly and contribute immediately for a team with a youthful back end and goaltending questions.

“Everything’s new,” said the 18-year-old San Jose second-rounder, now with a week of Canada under his belt. “Everything is different from Sweden. The language, for sure. The small rink, it’s a big step for me.

As for game speed, “it’s a little bit faster than home.”

Bergman did not show up ill-prepared.

Last month, he was part of the Swedish world junior hopefuls who shook off the summer rust on the small ice at Lake Placid, N.Y., in preparation for the big tournament to be held at Montreal and Toronto after Christmas.

Before that, he attended his first Sharks development camp and got a crash course on London and the OHL from the Knights’ most recent captain, San Jose prospect Chris Tierney.

“We talked a little bit about it,” Bergman said. “He said it was a great (city) and organization, a great place to be, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

His starting date, of course, is in his hands now. He will attend Sharks camp first and is due to leave later this week.

Veteran forward Bo Horvat has already departed for Vancouver and Max Domi will be Arizona-bound soon.

The Knights still have 30-plus on their roster, in part, because they need enough players for the exhibition season, which starts Friday night against Sarnia at Budweiser Gardens.

The Sharks stuff will help the 6-foot-2, 193-pound Bergman prepare for the upcoming OHL grind.

“I think he’ll be pretty good early (out of the gate),” London GM Mark Hunter said. “This kid is a year older than Olli was (when he arrived for the 2011-12 season). Olli needed time to get used to playing Canadian hockey, so he was quicker prepared to play in the NHL (at 19 with Pittsburgh last season).

“With the smaller rinks, there’s an adjustment period. One thing Olli had to learn was Canadians finish their checks and we talked to him numerous times to spin off after he passes the puck.”

Maatta improved that self-saving measure later in his first season and into his first playoffs, which he dominated.

Former Swedish world junior coach Roger Ronnberg, currently the bench boss of Bergman’s old club team in Frolunda, pointed to impatience in explaining the teen’s departure to London this summer.

Obviously, he would’ve liked to see Bergman stay and develop in the Swedish league.

“Everything is supposed to go so fast for the young ones today,” he told the Swedish press. “Put Julius next to Zdeno Chara and you’ll understand he’s not ready to play in the NHL. Bergman will surely play (there) one day, but not this year. He’s not trained for that and he would’ve been better suited to play with us for the next two years.”

The Hunters, of course, disagree with that assessment.

“They need to come over here for one year, likely two, to get adjusted to the building, league and style of hockey if they want to play in the NHL, and this kid does,” Mark Hunter said. “It’s a real good learning curve for him to come to junior here, get used to everything (first), and not play in the American league or NHL, where there are bigger guys hitting him (and he could get hurt).”

Ronnberg’s wish to keep Bergman is a good sign for London. If he wasn’t so talented, the coach would hardly be so outspoken about him leaving the country.

Though his plan is to play just one season in London, Bergman wants it to be a memorable one. He aims to be on that big world junior stage with Sweden in four months.

“That’s one of my goals for the season,” he said, “and just play good here (in London).”

Graham gone

Gatineau-area journalist J-F Plante has reported overage goalie Domenic Graham has decided to call it quits in his effort to make the Knights after taking part in training camp on the weekend. The Knights, who watched Jake Patterson retire rather than come back this year, won’t admit that much yet. “He’s gone home for personal reasons,” Mark Hunter said. The team doesn’t know if — or when — he will come back. Rookie Tyler Parsons and veteran Michael Giugovaz are slated to see action during the team’s upcoming exhibition games.